But a lack of commitment was the leading excuse people in the survey said they end up breaking their resolutions, followed by having too many other things to do.

It could take a few months for the spark to fade, but only a few weeks for some people to move on.

So how do you keep the love alive with your new self-improvement plan?

One way to stave off failure is to be realistic about how much temptation you can handle as you try to cut out bad habits, a Northwestern University researcher said.

Loran Nordgren, an experimental psychologist at the university’s Kellogg School of Management, found in studies that people who were most confident about their self control to withstand temptation – whether in the form of cake or a clearance sale – were the ones mostly likely to slip up on the goals, Nordgren said in a Houston Chronicle article.

Most experts will advise to make realistic resolutions – not vowing to lose 40 pounds by Valentine’s Day – and not turning a slip up into reason to abandon the goal completely.

USA.gov provides information and support advice for many of the popular resolutions from losing weight to getting healthier.

And of course in the iPhone age, there are now apps for resolutions – available for free or for a charge.

There are calorie counters, exercise trainers, texting with the National Cancer Institute’s quit smoking coaches and meditation programs from the Mayo Clinic to help with stress.

So here’s to 2010 and my resolution to organize the chaos that is my office desk.

Eventually.

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About This Blog

We will do our best to help you plow through the confusing maze of health care and, along the way, sprinkle in some fitness ideas and ideas. We’ll also share interesting discoveries in health and medicine.